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Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan

At a glance

  • What: a draft update of the city's combined sewer overflow control plan (stormwater and sewage discharge into waterways), with public hearings on Sep 17 and Sep 24.
  • Next: outcome of the hearings not yet read.

Sources

Log

  • 2026-10-22 - Page created from public city materials (retrieved 2026-10-22); no meeting transcript processed yet.

2026-06-25 - City Council

Older meeting. A resident's comments on the draft Combined Sewer Overflow Plan (item 26-0650) were placed on file and sent to the Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee. Councilor Clingan said the authors of the plan would present it at that committee's June 29, 2026 meeting. Related infrastructure borrowing: Poplar Street Pump Station Borrowing.

2026-09-24 - CSO Control Plan Public Hearing 2

Second of three public hearings. Speakers from Arlington, Newton, Medford and Woburn mostly urged full sewer separation and elimination of overflows, alleging the draft leaves Alewife Brook with about 50 percent more overflow in a future five-year storm. Melrose and Norwood officials supported the draft plan over costlier options, citing rate increases. Written comments are due October 30, 2026; the final hearing is October 28.

2026-09-17 - CSO Control Plan Public Hearing 1

First of three public hearings, held at Cambridge City Hall and on Zoom. About 20 speakers, mostly from Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford and Malden, opposed the draft as inadequate and urged full separation or virtual elimination up to a 25-year storm. The Mystic River and Charles River watershed associations questioned how often the preferred alternative would actually prevent overflows.